[hpsdr] Pandora's Box Concept Update!

[Eric Ellison]

Ben!

Hi! I was kidding about the Alex stuff I'm fascinated by all these
discussions! 

WOW! You really have a LOT to be concerned with in your personal life at the
moment. Make sure you take care of you and your family FIRST. This stuff can
wait!

I ordered, and got in one day, a BK-959. VERY nice cabinet, well packaged,
simple to construct, sturdy, good paint job, good color choice. I chose
black to somewhat match the SDR-1000. 

FWIW: Since I have been mentioning and playing with the Aria PC enclosure, I
placed the 9 inch front/back panel up against the case, and it 'misses the
rear width dimension by about 1/2 inch and height by about 5 inches. It is
really not too important, and I can see several ways to use the panel, since
it IS smaller, and I won't even have to cut. In other words, the single
slotted, panel sold individually, DOES work in my PC enclosure. 


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The BK-959 is looking pretty good, but my initial cardboard models show 
that fully loaded with 220 mm long cards, there isn't any spare room for 
a front panel.  May have to switch to something by Buckeye Shapeform if 
we must have some depth for front panel switches.
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We don't have any 220 mm boards yet, and anyone who would have 6 x 220 mm
boards if one is invented, is into a specialized application in any event.
(6 filter boards, 6 transceiver boards etc) I would just say they would be
into a rack or some other 'specialized enclosure'. I have not checked, but
does a 220 mm board fit within the F/B enclosure? Remember, per all the
discussions, this really is a 'one sized fits most' and is one of the
smallest practical form factors. We are actually buying the front benzel not
necessarily the enclosure. However, since the Benzel fits a standard
enclosure which many can use, it is a good compromise and kills 2 needs with
one stone.

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The side-mount won't work I don't think - the BK-959 has internal side 
panels that the clam-shells mount to.  What might be possible, if the 
dissipation isn't too great, is to use these side panels as the 
heatsinks themselves.  Won't do 100 watts, that's for sure, but maybe 20 
or 40.  I can test this at some point.
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I think planning for an internal 100 or 200 watt or other amplifier in the
case, is beyond the scope. It has no real size definition yet. If it can be
mounted within the 959 enclosure and we have 200 enclosures out there when
it is invented, then the designers of the AMP can fit the enclosure. The
only 'recommended' sizes we can count on are Atlas and Project card form
factors. I'm with Frank. I would prefer NOT to have it in the enclosure, but
that will be preference. I don't think it will go on the Atlas bus.


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A group buy would be great - the price really comes down in bulk!  I 
recently purchased one of those PCR-100's on eBay, and I probably could 
mount one into a shielded box with a load and use the PCR-100 as a 
poor-mans spectrum analyzer.
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I think Scotty mentioned on Teamspeak on Friday that TAPR might want to
stock this based on interest. Dunno, it can be done in mass one way or
another and save 20 bux or so. It's a 'cute lil supply' almost perfect for
the application. We do need to make sure that it is not a 'party
noisemaker'. I was willing to go with it based on Chris's work, but it was a
personal decision. If it is noisy, I only wasted 60 bux, and there might be
ways to tame the noise.



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> My feeling about Alex is it should be a 3 way.

 
> Put a DIN connector on it, to mount on Atlas, pick up power and control
from the buss.


> Also put external connections i2c connection, reset, ground, JTAG and
> whatever else is needed to control it. External power connection from a
> standard PC power Molex 12v-G-G-5v.


> Also make it 'stand alone for any receiver project going on out there,
> outside SDR.


> Make it modular with plug in filter sections in any case.

That would be very hot!  Something that could be used outside HPSDR 
would certainly increase interest!
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Every time I see a project proposed in HPSDR my first thought is can we get
an equivalent 'off the shelf'. Second is can we make this project board
appeal to folks outside just Ham Radio. Third is is there any 'duplication'
of parts existing on other project boards (FPGA on Ozy for example). In the
case of Atlas, almost any receiver/tranciever project in QST, RadCom, QEX or
other could benefit from an 'off the shelf' or easily modified high quality
filter board. Especially if it can take a few watts of exciter power. Then
instead of selling 300-500 highly customized (HPSDR) filter boards we are
into selling potentially thousands. I think ATLAS - OZY and possibly an EPI
board are in that category already if we hit the Robotics or FPGA groups.

Thanks
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF and FAMILY!
Eric - AA4SW






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